Noctua pronuba
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the palearctic, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the species is highly migratory with large numbers appearing suddenly in marginal parts of the range.
Adults have a wingspan of around 45-55 mm. The patterns and colours on the forewings vary widely by specimen, though the yellow-orange underwings with a black stripe at the base remain consistent. As with other Noctua species (and numerous other insects), this contrast of bland-on-land and bright-in-flight is used to confuse potential predators. It will visit flowers such as Buddleia, ragwort, and red valerian.
This adult flies at night from mid to late summer and is attracted to light, sometimes in huge numbers. The larvae, of the cutworm type, can be found from late summer to early spring, feeding at night and hiding underground at day, they are green or brown with two rows of black dashes along the back.
Antennae in male ciliated. Forewings ochreous-brown to dark fuscous, sometimes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 15 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 16 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 17 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Ankara | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 8 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 9 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Sofia | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 260 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 81st most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Yellow Underwing in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Yellow Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
47th of 61
Of the 61 cities where we can rate Large Yellow Underwing sightings, Chicago ranks 47th at about 10%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 50%), Manchester (United Kingdom, about 30%) and London (United Kingdom, about 30%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Large Yellow Underwing that you can see in Chicago (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are American Dagger (about 10%), Armyworm Moth (about 10%) and Corn Earworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Yellow Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (260 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
